Mr Mathison was speaking after the Education Minister made a statement today (16 January) setting out his proposals for changes to how schools are managed.
The Strangford MLA said: "Alliance has long been on record as supportive of reducing our bureaucracy in schools, but this is best achieved by creating a single management authority for all schools.
"The Minister is cherry-picking from the recommendations contained in the 'Independent Review of Education', and he is, in fact, adding bureaucracy rather than reducing it. Given that he has spent the last week complaining about his budget, this seems foolhardy.
"Our education is already inefficiently and unnecessarily divided. The Minister is correct to note that there is divergence between how different sectors are managed and that there is a 'platform for change' - but the change required is not to add managing authorities in a way which will inevitably maintain division and add confusion.
"This was an opportunity to scope out how we could begin wider integration within the system as a whole, but it is an opportunity the Minister has knowingly decided to pass up."
The Strangford MLA said: "Alliance has long been on record as supportive of reducing our bureaucracy in schools, but this is best achieved by creating a single management authority for all schools.
"The Minister is cherry-picking from the recommendations contained in the 'Independent Review of Education', and he is, in fact, adding bureaucracy rather than reducing it. Given that he has spent the last week complaining about his budget, this seems foolhardy.
"Our education is already inefficiently and unnecessarily divided. The Minister is correct to note that there is divergence between how different sectors are managed and that there is a 'platform for change' - but the change required is not to add managing authorities in a way which will inevitably maintain division and add confusion.
"This was an opportunity to scope out how we could begin wider integration within the system as a whole, but it is an opportunity the Minister has knowingly decided to pass up."